Day: February 1, 2018

Fusion. It’s a TV channel. You may have it! Once you’ve found it, starting next week you can tune in to a new weekly sketch comedy series, Happy Ending with Nando Vila. The 10-episode series explores political issues and news beyond the headlines and tries to explain it all with laughs. “America is looking for a happy ending to the mess we are in,” said Vila. “We are taking a fun, entertaining and informative look at the different building blocks of our political system, while proposing solutions in the hopes of making progress—because we’d like to end up, you...

Budd Friedman has let go of owning The Improv. Levity Entertainment Group, which already runs six of the Improv comedy clubs in addition to producing stand-up specials and comedy series, as well as managing comedy clients, has bought the legendary Improv franchise brand from Friedman and Improv co-owner Mark Lonow. “We are very happy,” Lonow told The Comic’s Comic today. “Both myself and Budd will be continuing on as consultants and working alongside LEG to make the Improv name more important in the comedy world.” Friedman opened the original Improvisation club in 1963 in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen....

Ali Siddiq served six years of a 15 year sentence for drug trafficking in the Texas state penitentiary system. He also started performing comedy. Now for his first one-hour special, Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than These Bars, he’s back behind bars at Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas. Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than These Bars premieres on Friday, Feb. 23 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central. The special includes both stand-up from Siddiq, stories of his own incarceration, and interviews with the Bell County inmates. Here’s a clip! More about Siddiq, from Comedy Central PR: Ali Siddiq is a stand-up comedian, public speaker, and...

First Ball. Then Carlin. Now Berman. The National Comedy Center has acquired the archives of legendary comedian Shelley Berman, who died last September at 92. Sarah Berman, who had been married to Shelley for more than 70 years, announced the donation at a tribute to him hosted on Tuesday night at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, Calif., where his Curb Your Enthusiasm co-stars, Larry David and Cheryl Hines, were in also in attendance. “No longer the step child to the arts, comedy and those who make us laugh are about to have their own place in...